Month: August 2009

For the alarm-clock framing, use 3/4 or 1/2 in. white pine, and cover with heavy cardboard, cutting an opening at the tp for the head, and another at the bottom which is large enough to pass over the entire body.

The frame is provided with shoulder straps for comfort.

Give the clock a coat of ivory brushing lacquer and paint the numerals in black.

Hands are cut from plywood and also painted black.

The alarm bell is made from a cardboard disk having a number of V-cuts as shown. When the edges are drawn together and fastened with heavy gummed paper on the inside, the correct shape will be formed.

The bell is fastened to the wearer’s head by means of the crown of an old derby.

The helmet is the crown of an old derby hat surmounted with a curved wooden crest and ostrich plumes.

The crest is scroll-sawed from 3/4 in. white pine and tacked from the inside. Drive in large headed tacks through a strip of reinforced cardboard.

A convincing coat of mail is made by sewing scales of gilt paper on an undershirt, the scales overlapping each other. Sew on paper or leather epaulets, and make a belt of red and black oilcloth.

The skirt should be an accordion-pleated one with a red hem.

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The Roman gladiator costume is also effective. The helmet is the corwn of an old derby hat surmounted with a curved wooden crest and ostrich plumes. The crest is scroll-sawed from 3/4 in. white pine and tacked from the inside. Drive in large headed tacks through a strip of reinforced cardboard. A convincing coat of mail is made by sewing scales of gilt paper on an undershirt, the scales overlapping each other. Sew on paper or leather epaulettes, and make a belt of red and black oilcloth. The skirt should be an accordion-pleated one with a red hem.The Roman gladiator costume is also effective. The helmet is the crown of an old derby hat surmounted with a curved wooden crest and ostrich plumes. The crest is scroll-sawed from 3/4 in. white pine and tacked from the inside. Drive in large headed tacks through a strip of reinforced cardboard. A convincing coat of mail is made by sewing scales of gilt paper on an undershirt, the scales overlapping each other. Sew on paper or leather epaulets, and make a belt of red and black oilcloth. The skirt should be an accordion-pleated one with a red hem.

The simplest costume is that of the baby, and at the same time it is extremely effective, because it will completely disguise the age and sex or anyone. The flesh-tinted cheesecloth covering for the face rounds the mature contours into those of a child, and while the wearer can easily see and breathe through the cloth, the other guests cannot penetrate the disguise.

Use white cheesecloth and give it the lightest flesh tint with commercial dye. When dry, stretch over the features and knot at the back, as shown. Then paint in eyes, eyebrows, nostrils and mouth with water colors, giving a touch of rouge on the cheeks. Brush the natural hair back to permit a high forehead, attach a blond curl of false hair and cover the head with a frilly cap tied under the chin.

Probably the two most typical Hallowe’en stunts are fortune telling and the Trail of Terror. Young boys are especially fascinated by the latter, and some version of it will always be successful at a boys’ party. It fulfills a deep-seated longing for adventure and excitement on Hallowe’en, and gives the boy a thrilling memory for months to come. Although the Trail of Terror usually opens the home party, it is better to use it as a goodnight stunt at the large party, in order that the boys may not be too excited for the quieter part of the program. The following description includes ideas for several types of Terror Trails.

An outside entrance leads to a rendezvous with ghosts and witches in the cellar or attic. Hang old fur, strips of raw liver on walls where one feels his way to dark steps. Have waxed boards on cellar steps, with a mattress at the foot. Host hands each guest an apple as he hits the bottom. Basement dark, except for a few candles. Each guest takes hold of a cord strung higher than his head, and follows it through a dark furnace-room, fruit cellar and amusement room.

Weird moans and howls come from dark corners, damp sponges and hair nets hung from the ceiling touch his face, he walks on corn stalks, bed springs, chains and lengths of hose and stumbles noisily over tin pans. Electric fans blow tissue paper streamers in his face. At one place “Tige” who is a guard dressed as a dog, suddenly jumps out at him, barking and growling. A suit can be made out of brown crepe paper – sewed on old clothes – and a short tail made by wrapping cloth around a piece of wire and then covering it with brown paper. A brown hood and a dog false-face complete the outfit.

Doorways are blockaded so that guests must crawl through a long dark tunnel, where voices muffled through a garden hose are heard, and a cowbell fastened under a running faucet gives the effect of a waterfall and a doleful gong. At the end he hears a plaintive “meow” and sees a black cardboard cat outlined in luminous paint. At the end of the tunnel a witch stirs her cauldron over a “fire” made by a light bulb covered with quantities of red tissue paper. She gives him a teaspoon of brew, which proves to be vinegar. A sheeted ghost appears to lead him back to the party room, where the witches’ snake (a roll of chilled dough), a spider (slippery mushroom), the devil’s hand (a cold chicken foot) and other objects are being passed from guest to guest in the dark. Finally, the lights are turned on, the silence ends and games begin in a burst of fun.

The night of October 31st is called Hallowe’en or Halloweven, because it is the night before the ancient church festival of All Saints or All Hallows. The people of England and Scotland, where this festival was celebrated, used to be very superstitious, and because this Halloweven was a watch night, or vigil, the belief grew up among them that it was a night when spirits were abroad. They thought that the bad spirits, the witches, goblins, hobgoblins, and ghosts, went about the earth playing all kinds of mischievous pranks, and that the good fairies came out to baffle these bad spirits and to pretect men from them.

Because Hallowe’en was the night of spirits, the people believed that spells, charms and witchcraft were more powerful then; and so certain old customs were practiced then which have ever since been associated with Hallowe’en. Some of them are almost unknown to us, but others, such as bobbing for apples and telling fortunes are enjoyd by the boys and girls of today. And although the spirirts are no longer abroad on that night, it is still the time of pranks and mischief.

Make a white cloth sack, like a pillow slip, but rounded off at the upper corners to slip over the head, coming down to the shoulders.

Around the bottom of this gather a white cloth skirt, reaching below the knees, trimmed with black.

The arms are kept down close to the sides, under the skirt.

Make holes for the eyes and mouth, marking around the eyes with black crayon.

Mark around the mouth with red.

On the head sew hair of strips of black cloth, having a long braid in front of each shoulder.

When they come onto the stage they keep faces to the audience, moving forward and slightly sidewaise; when leaving the stage, back off, making several bows. This does not give a back view and reveal the fact that there is no hair on the back of the head.

Singing should be spooky, and the singer under the cloth will make it so.